Computer Arts - April 2019

APRIL 2018 MORAG MYERSCOUGH



APRIL 2019 information in your brain in a way PHOTOGRAPH: Gareth Gardner you hadn’t thought of, is crucial. There doesn’t have to be just one we made schools that were for We’ve worked together on a few Facing page, route to finding these things. But the pupils, teachers and families; more projects. One of them was top:The giant time is an important thing and a schools they felt part of, schools that working with the patients at the centrepiece luxury that education does allow for. belonged to them. Royal London. created for Cape Town’s You’ve also spoken about rebelling At the moment we’re working Can you tell us a bit more about Design Indaba against what you thought the together on a large permanent that project? Festival 2018. limitations of a career as a ‘graphic project with Luke Morgan. All When I was commissioned by Vital designer’ in the 1980s might mean. the hospital projects have been art Arts to design the five dining rooms Facing page, Do you feel that a graphic designer’s commissions and architects have at the Royal London Children’s bottom: A 22m, role – or people’s expectations of been involved, but not in the same hospital, I proposed to work with hand-painted what a graphic designer can do – way that I work with Paul. Lemn on the project. He did poetry mural in a has shifted now? workshops with the young patients Swedish hospital. I don’t want to make sweeping You also collaborate with specialists and I ran visual workshops with statements about graphic design. in disciplines outside of design. the words. We then made murals Above:The Temple I can only speak from my own Can you share a time when a non- by combining the words with of Agape, created experience. For me, graphic design designer has brought something the visuals, so the dining rooms with Luke Morgan as a subject was too limiting when it unexpected to a project? belonged to the young patients for the Festival of came to the ‘industry’ and people’s I love working with the poet Lemn – it was their ideas on the walls. Love in London. perceptions of the role. Sissay. He has such an amazing mind. One of his daily tweets I also displayed all the young I wanted to make everything inspired the Movement Café. patients’ original drawings in and be involved on every level when working on projects. I wanted to do the thinking, not just the layouts or styling at the end. I know graphic design is much more than this and I hope attitudes are changing. I’m not involved in education so I can’t say how much it’s developed. I’ve always been an outsider and found my own space. You founded Studio Myerscough back in 1993. What does the studio look like now? Studio Myerscough is really what it says it is: a physical studio with me and my 11-month West Highland terrier Elvis in it. I work alone or with Luke Morgan on the large structures. When I do large painting projects I employ a great team of people who paint with me. You often collaborate on your projects, sometimes with architects. Is that something you actively had to push for? What difference do you think it makes to the outcome? I’ve collaborated with Paul Monaghan of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris for the past 25 years. Paul could see the value of my work from very early on. Together C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 53 -

PHOTOGRAPH: Gareth Gardner Above: A frames on the walls, so they and The permanent exhibition awards ceremony on each year permanent, their parents could see it and it was DESIGNER MAKER USER was a to recognise the incredible work unmissable clear the patients were at the centre first for the Design Museum. It was being done in local communities entrance to of the artwork. It’s important that partly funded by the HLF [Heritage and the South London Gallery arts Battersea power young patients and their families feel Lottery Fund] and so there are lots of club for local families on Sceaux station. comfortable in these environments, processes and evaluations you have Estate, and All Change in Islington, because often they stay for long to go through along the way. In total to name only a few. But all these Facing page, periods of time or return regularly as the project duration ended up being groups need as much support as top: Myerscough a child grows. five years. possible to thrive. designed the Design Museum’s Recently you redesigned a number Working on exhibitions with lots I believe in the strength of first permanent of bedrooms at Sheffield Children’s of content is different to making ‘belonging’ and how that can bond exhibition. hospital. What was it about the large art installations. You’re communities together. If people project that attracted you? working with content curated by work to make and build their own Facing page, I had only ever made work for others, which the structure has to surroundings, they have much bottom: the public spaces in the hospitals. display. The most important thing more investment in it. They’ll Myerscough and I had never been allowed into the with long projects is that you must work together to make it grow and Morgan created much more sensitive spaces of always try and hold on to a vision maintain it. It’s my mantra: ‘Make a multi-level the bedrooms. throughout the process. happy those who are near and those ‘Super Labyrinth’ who are far will come.’ for the Olympus What were the challenges of You grew up in London and still Perspective working with that client? do a lot of your work there. What’s A few years ago in an interview, you Playground. I was commissioned by Cat Powell your opinion of the cultural scene said: ‘Every year I re-evaluate what at Artfelt, the arts trust for Sheffield in London? I do’. Is that something you still do? Children’s Hospital. It’s important Very vibrant and always evolving. What conclusions did you come to to work with the clinical staff and this year? patients to explain what you’re You spoke about trying to give This has been a strange year for trying to achieve, and for them creativity, strength and power me, as my mother died at the end to believe in what you’re doing. to people in London with your of last year and so that instantly I wanted to make a home from Joy & Peace installations. Is that changes you. It has been a year of re- home for the young patients and something you think is lacking evaluating and very much thinking their families. A place they felt at the moment? about time and what’s next. comfortable in. I wouldn’t say lacking, but I think it’s important to support the I’ve had a very productive year You’ve designed several exhibitions community and bring the people in and fortunately am always moving for London’s Design Museum. Is it together, even in the smallest forward. But next year I’m also working with arts clients as free ways. There are so many amazing going to make some projects that and creative as you’d expect? people here – the Artskickers who I’ve had on hold, which I know work tirelessly to put a community I must do now and not put off until tomorrow. COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COM - 54 -

APRIL 2019

SPECIAL REPORT ILLUSTRATOR H OTLIS T 2019 WORDS: EMILY GOSLING Q ILLUSTRATION: MA X GUTHER

ILLUSTRATOR HOTLIST 2019 Illustration is about so much more than pretty pictures or decorative imagery to augment editorial copy, packaging and brand campaigns. Throughout its history, illustration has been used to refract social and political issues – those around body image, gender and diversity, for instance – and subtly (or overtly, in some cases) show us that there’s no single way of viewing the world or the people in it. The nature of illustration, in that it’s used for commercial purposes and seen by more eyes than, say, fine art pieces hanging in a museum, means that it has huge power in its visibility. As this list shows, that’s something which a number of illustrators are increasingly taking advantage of in these strange and turbulent times. Such is the case in the work of Ashley Lukashevsky, who in whatever she does, actively pushes to create images that represent those people who rarely get the depictions or airtime they deserve in mainstream media. Lukashevsky is just one of the 16 illustrators we’re celebrating here as some of the most exciting talent of 2019. It’s likely you’ve seen some of this work before – Polly Nor for instance, and her darkly humorous, feminist images of women and their demons deservedly took Instagram by storm – while other artists will be less familiar. Everyone on the list, though, is doing something fresh and exciting, either in their process, style, voice or approach. What’s interesting too is that many of these artists didn’t necessarily take a straightforward route into illustration. Some come from a graphic design background, Karan Singh studied interaction design, while others focused on animation. Their tools also vary hugely. While some are doggedly devoted to analogue and exploring its many potentials – take Toma Vagner’s unusual use of only rough, “imperfect” paper to add texture; Sophy Hollington’s gorgeous linocuts; Derek Ercolano’s love of set squares and compasses; or Liam Cobb’s stunning use of risograph printing – while others are exploring the possibilities of 3D software and augmented reality tools. What unites these illustrators, though, is their skill in using colour, narrative, humour and a touch of intangible magic to distill often complex stories or ideas into a single image. Turn the page to discover more… ARTWORK © Texel Brewery C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 57 -

SPECIAL REPORT APRIL 2019 02 01 03 >04 ALVA SKOG 0 1 Untitled 4 It’s fair to say 2018 was a bit of a belter for Swedish-born, Skog’s work is instantly recognisable for its bold, vibrant London-based illustrator Alva Skog. The year she graduated pale es and peculiar proportions – heads are o en small, 0 2 Expo from her graphic design BA at Central Saint Martins also saw hands are oversized. Her images are underpinned by her exhibit work at the V&A and feature on grads-to-watch feminist ideas in their deliberately stereotype-challenging 0 3 G2 lists on the likes of Creative Review, It’s Nice That, and our representations of gender, female and non-binary identities; (for The Guardian) very own New Talent roundup. and Skog references feminist sci-fi literature such as comic artist Liv Strömquist’s work as important influences. 0 4 Future Identities The graphic design studies underpinning Skog’s illustration practice have been useful, she says, in informing how she “can She uses techniques like “extreme perspectives and communicate an idea, subject or concept in the best way playing with the size of different body parts” to create a sense possible.” She mostly works with Procreate on the iPad and of dynamism and movement. “I like to use a low perspective Photoshop, using a mirroring app to connect her iPad to her so that you look up at the characters, which makes them laptop as a drawing pad. Despite being so early in her career, seem powerful,” adds Skog. “I also o en draw the characters Skog has already picked up high-profile editorial illustrations. taking big leaps so it looks like they’re heading somewhere “Two of my favourite commissions were for a Guardian article with confidence. Today it’s very common to depict women about child abuse and for the Swedish magazine Expo’s piece as looking happy, pre y and heteronormatively sexy. I am about incels (involuntary celibates),” says Skog. “They dealt very aware of this and try not to sexualise the characters in with serious and complicated subjects that challenged me, my drawings. Instead, I want to empower them and draw and they’re both papers that I respect.” a ention to the power dynamics of contemporary society.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 58 -



APRIL 2019 02 01 03 04> TOM A VAGNER 0 1 Harajuku Many illustrators spend their entire career trying to find a playthings of her childhood: Rubik’s Cubes, Jenga, spinning (for LUSH) style that’s uniquely their own. Toma Vagner only graduated tops (“Every child owned one in the Soviet Union”) and paper a couple of years ago from New York’s School of Visual dolls. “There’s a weird sense of movement in those things, and 0 2 Jenga Arts, but already boasts an aesthetic that feels entirely fresh, they look very interesting visually,” Vagner says. They have beguiling and strange, in a very good way. This is partly, certainly caught the eye of many admirers – not least ex-One 0 3 Dystopia perhaps, due to her unusual background. Vagner grew up Directioner Harry Styles’ creative director, who approached on the Russian island of Sakhalin, which is surrounded by an Vagner to create a series of images for the pop star. 0 4 Adam ocean within easy reach of Japan. Her father was a sailor who would o en bring back trinkets, comics and candies from Her pale es and textures, too, merge a sense of nostalgia Japan, and the striking aesthetics of those went on to directly with a contemporary approach to image-making. Those inform Vagner’s work today. The toys and puzzles of her textures are born of a process in which she draws only on childhood frequently make their way into her compositions, “imperfect paper, with some fibre or marks on it,” which is then which themselves are inspired by traditional Japanese art and scanned. Her colours are created using a mix of digital and design, such as Hokusai’s compositions, as well as the manga acrylic painting. and anime cartoons she loved as a child. Vagner says that the commissions she enjoys most are Where these motifs take on a new life is in Vagner’s those that give her a lot of freedom: “That’s when my pieces placement of them alongside imagery of the popular Soviet come out in the best way, when I have time to play around with not a lot of rules. Rules are good, but not a lot of them.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 60 -



SPECIAL REPORT 01 02 KARAN SINGH 0 1 PotLuck Flower “Karan Singh’s work is eye-poppingly vibrant and full of the idea of transforming something mundane into something 0 2 PotLuck Fingers energy and tension,” say Outline Artists illustration agency extraordinary by re-imagining them in surreal ways, giving co-founders Camilla Parsons and Gavin Lucas, who recently them a different sense of meaning and purpose.” brought on the acclaimed illustrator as the most recent signing to their roster. “His work is punchy and arresting and Over the past few years Singh has taken it upon himself Karan himself is super efficient and working with him is a joy. to learn a new skill or tool each year, working across the iPad Which is probably why the phone hasn’t stopped ringing Pro and Pencil, Cinema4D, A er Effects, augmented reality with people wanting him to lend his particular visual magic and projection mapping. “Each new skill helps me think about to their brand,” they add. my work in a whole new light,” he says. “All said, for me it’s important to maintain restraint: choosing the right tool and Singh, who was born in New Delhi but grew up in Muscat, technique coupled with a strong idea is still the most crucial Oman and Sydney, Australia, is self-taught in illustration, part of the process.” having studied interaction design, and his vibrant, dynamic work draws directly on the sensibilities of mid-century graphic Since focusing on art and illustration for the past nine years design and bears a love of optical art and minimalism. or so, Singh has picked up clients including Instagram, IBM, Apple, Airbnb and the band OK Go. “A personal highlight was Like Yayoi Kusama and Bridget Riley, he looks to build directing and animating a piece for Nike for the 2018 Winter depth through pa ern and repetition. “I’m really interested in Olympics,” he says. “It was such a huge undertaking and banal shapes and objects and as a result they feature o en in probably one of the most challenging and involved things that my work whether as pa erns or subjects,” says Singh. “I love I’ve worked on.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 62 -

APRIL 2019 ILLUSTRATOR HOTLIST 2019 01 02 JOANA AVILLEZ 0 1 New York Times “If I could draw like anyone, it would be Joana Avillez,” says and drawing where they both add something essential, Book review writer and podcaster Liv Siddall, who first encountered the dancing together to read like a unique language,” says Avillez. American illustrator’s work as a visual editorial piece for Die 0 2 The New Yorker Zeit about Avillez’s dad. She describes her style as “loose yet specific. Diaristic, personal, one-on-one.” She delights in embedding humour “Her drawings tend to be observational cartoons which in the details: “I love a funny line the most!” These gags o en completely distill the characters who can be found use her native New York City as their setup and punchline: on the streets of New York,” adds Siddall. “Particularly, it Avillez grew up in a fish market on the East River. “The whole seems, the bougie old-timers from the Upper West Side. neighborhood smelled terrible so only a few people lived Chic, older women with tiny dogs and a bougie demeanor. there,” she says. “The house I grew up in was made up of A lot of illustrators need a heck of a lot of Photoshop to old ship beams, some of which had the graffiti of Irish sailors. make their work sing. Joana just needs a pen, some paper, Sometimes there would be a crab on my doorstep when and her incomparable people-watching skills for seeking out I went to school in the morning.” the perfect subjects.” People-watching for Avillez is “like birdwatching to me”, she As Siddall points out, Avillez’s tools are simple: various says, “and this must be a result of growing up in New York… weights of rollerball pens and an Exacto blade to cut out I relish the feast of pedestrians, and their exhibitionist sartorial errors so that she can continue working on the rest of her a itudes. Whether it’s New York or Durango or Lisbon, my intricate pieces, which unite her imagery with her own a ention always gravitates to the same thing: people and the charmingly scrawled text. “I love to create a hybrid of writing particular ways they present themselves within their world.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 63 -

SPECIAL REPORT APRIL 2019 02 01 03 >04 DEREK ERCOLANO 0 1 Commission Derek Ercolano’s work is deliciously dark, dealing in the Ercolano went on to graduate from his illustration MA in work for Eye on esoteric side of psychedelia and calling to mind the strange 2014 in Bergen. He describes the city, on the west coast of Design magazine worlds weaved in Chilean-French filmmaker Alejandro Norway, as “really strange… it rains most of the days of the year Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain in his peculiar way of and has this mysticism to it: it’s always foggy and spooky, in a 0 2 High Tide cover distilling an idea in an image. His textures, colours and good way. You just have to sit inside and draw a lot.” character design feel like a marriage of the grey, Norwegian 0 3 Molt fog that o en overshadows his home in Bergen, and the His process starts using a pen in a gridded sketchbook, fantastical worlds seen in French animator René Laloux’s 1973 before selecting a final sketch and working it up with some 0 4 Pangram film Fantastic Planet. pre y unusual tools, such as set squares, compasses and rulers. Once he begins manipulating the image digitally, he Ercolano moved to Norway around seven years ago, treats his images “like screen prints, taking each part and leaving behind an ad agency job in his native New York. giving it its own layer.” He’d found himself making the already long days even longer by staying a er work every day to draw. He worked up At the heart of his illustration method is the idea of his illustration style by experimenting with a huge range of maintaining a warmth and humanity within digitally created processes, starting out in pen and paper, then scanning in his images; weaving complex textures through stark monochrome work and experimenting with digital manipulation. The mixture pale es. His work is informed by a vast array of weird and of digital and analog plays out in his intriguing style, which to wonderful ephemera – from old airbrush art, to monsters the naked eye makes for a process that’s hard to break down. and mutants, to sci-fi to “even some stuff from an alien enthusiast magazine,” he says. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 64 -



SPECIAL REPORT APRIL 2019 01 02 LIAM COBB 0 1 Everpress Frogs If anyone knows a thing or two about comics, it’s writer menu. “I feel like I’m soaking up ideas from everywhere, so TV 0 2 Iris scan and Weapons of Reason editor James Cartwright, who’s and film can help me think of ideas, but I try to stay away from long been a champion of the work of south east London being influenced too directly,” says Cobb. “I want to avoid born and bred artist Liam Cobb. “Never one to rest on his creating work that imitates anything already out there or is laurels, each new comic Liam produces always demonstrates conveying an idea which has already been done.” progression either in the narrative form he uses or the detail in his technique,” says Cartwright. “Likewise, his commercial Cobb’s work usually starts with a pencil sketch, before work and personal drawings show a restless experimentation using layout paper to trace over the image with a fine liner with both colour and materials. Look out for his drawings of pen, scanning it, and then using Photoshop to add colour and Icelandic volcanoes!” texture. Sometimes he ventures into ink and paint, but for us his most beautiful work is that which boasts the distinctive In 2018, Camberwell Art College illustration graduate texture and colours of Riso printing. Cobb published his hilarious and very charming Riso-printed comic The Inspector with Breakdown Press – a piece This technique is central to much of Cobb’s work, and the inspired by his love of watching MasterChef. The narrative illustrator delights in “experimenting with different colours follows a restaurant critic (in the form of the Michelin Man, a and pa erns, enabling me to create some really interesting character who first appeared in Cobb’s The Fever Closing) imagery,” he says. “I never 100 per cent know what it’s going as he gallivants around the world, judging its eateries and to look like from digital file to print. It can vary so much on the occasionally asking for a “side of ketchup” with the tasting smallest factors such as shades of paper and different shades of the same colour. It’s really exciting!” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 66 -

APRIL 2019 ILLUSTRATOR HOTLIST 2019 01 02 JUI-CHE WU 0 1 Der geteilte “My scissors are my best friend,” says Taiwan-born, London- While Wu’s work has seen him take on commissions Himmel based illustrator Jui-Che Wu. His highly unusual approach to across picture books, literature, film, animations and textiles, a collage is testament enough to that friendship. Wu’s work is particular highlight was the book he designed and illustrated 0 2 Vegan Kitten o en simple yet highly poetic, a call-back to the illustrator’s for the Chi Ming Publishing Company, a client that sounds past writing poems, and his predilection for abstraction. like a dream in terms of giving him space and freedom to “try different approaches to expand the possibilities of illustration.” Emily Evans, illustrator and illustration lecturer at The Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design – and someone who Another rather different project that stands out was one he knows a thing or two about making gorgeous collage-based created during his course at the Royal College of Art, in which work – says: “His use of collage is simple and bright yet fun and he worked with local residents in London’s Church Street to playful. He works on a look of book covers and they have a visualise their stories. “It’s been a great experience to listen beautiful use of composition and textures.” to people’s history,” says Wu. “And because I come from a different culture, it’s nice to see how the cultures interact and Wu’s process is mostly analogue, se ing out hand- produce a new angle.” cut paper and found images to figure out compositions. Sometimes he will scan in the physical cut-outs and finishing Alongside Wu’s illustration, he also works in graphic design, pieces using Photoshop. “I like the organic and sharp shapes, and the two sides of his visual talent both inform and inspire which might not be achieved by drawing or painting,” says one another. “Sometimes I feel I’m using the process of the artist. “I also like to mix materials to give the images more graphic design to illustrate, and I think that’s the benefit which layers and complexity.” comes from my graphic design background,” he says. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 67 -

SPECIAL REPORT APRIL 2019 01 02 03> MAX GUTHER 0 1 UNI SPIEGEL Berlin-based illustrator Max Guther has no shortage of fans, he moved into the land of 3D, and the hugely intricate worlds 0 2 ZEITmagazin and his surreally busy, half-realistic, half-dystopian scenes that he builds today. 0 3 ZEITmagazin make it plain why. Both Elephant editor Emily Steer and writer and podcaster Liv Siddall describe his work as “Sims-like,” with Guther says that much of his inspiration comes from Steer (who’s commissioned Guther in the past) praising his everyday life, alongside movies and photographs, as well work as “super clean… but also deeply unse ling.” She adds: as pre y much anything else he encounters. He thrives on “He manages to create an eerie vibe with very small clues – the variety that being an illustrator offers, and loves projects dark and slightly too perfect slices of shadow; colourful streets around things “I’ve not discovered before or didn’t even think devoid of human activity; sun-soaked scenes which hint at a to illustrate,” as well as self-initiated projects or those with looming, ominous event. He adds some well-observed details, clients that offer a lot of freedom. too. The onset of the apocalypse has never looked so good.” “I like to look at large scenery where there’s a lot to Guther’s style has developed gradually over time, and at discover,” he says. “This is why I put a lot of effort in details university he worked across typography and photography in my illustrations. For me it’s a medium to catch people’s alongside illustration. “A er a while I discovered collage,” eyes – maybe it’s a grandma’s chair or a neighbour’s car, but he says. At first, he was using Photoshop “and a lot of increasing some familiar elements calls on people’s memories transformation” to create isometric collages, but “found out and experiences.” He adds, “The good thing about working that this process would take too much time to succeed as an digitally is that I’m able to move and rotate elements with illustrator where time and deadline is a boundary.” As a result, hindsight and thus I’m able to focus on my personal ‘perfect composition’ even with tight deadlines.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 68 -



SPECIAL REPORT APRIL 2019 02 01 03 POLLY NOR 0 1 Nothing to Wear If you’ve ever been on the modern-day time-sink that is “Someone once posted, ‘Ur art makes my heart and my Instagram, or have even a passing interest in visual culture, brain horny for thinking.’ I thought that was a good one.” 0 2 Like a Stranger in then it’s likely you’ve seen the work of Polly Nor. She’s Indeed, she’s previously described herself as “Part artist, my Own Skin garnered a huge following for her o en hilarious, frequently part internet freak.” rather dark portrayals of “women and their demons”, dealing 0 3 Stuck on You in an irresistible marriage of satire and stark truth about what it Like many illustrators, Nor has wanted to be an artist for means to be a woman today. as long as she can remember, claiming that it was the only thing she was good at as a kid. Though her works o en speak Nor works across hand-drawn and digital illustration, of personal experiences, anxiety and darkness, her style is and more recently sculpture and installation work, focusing eminently commissionable, and she’s worked for leading on themes around identity, female sexuality and “emotional clients including Bloomsbury Publishing, Dazed Digital, turmoil” inspired by her experiences of being a woman in the Dr. Martens and Gucci. internet age. Naturally, being a woman pu ing work on the internet is its own challenge. The artist has also collaborated with Andy Baker on an animated music video for Chelou’s Halfway To Nowhere, “I get a lot of weird comments,” she says. “I get some which has been viewed well over five million times. Not bad conspiracy theorists who think that I’m actually a guy, some for someone who claims to be their own worst enemy. “I’ve people who think I’m a sociopath and some who think I’m part never been very good at following advice,” she says. “I have of the illuminati – I love that one. But on the whole most of the to do things my own way, even though my way is usually the comments are complementary. most difficult way.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 70 -

01 INJI SEO 0 1 Beach Girls South Korean illustrator Inji Seo has a beguiling knack with says. “I don’t know why, but I liked the cultural elements that shadow and perspective, creating her own distinctive universe surrounded me as a child. I like the Oriental colours and the from elements that usually feel familiar, but become weird and way that artists drew plants, objects and people. I also like to wonderful. Watermelon takes on the guise of sticky alien life mix and match traditional, Buddhist or Confucian objects and forms, while vast natural landscapes are peppered with huge the modern objects that surround me now.” strawberries and strange li le naked bodies. Seo works with airbrushing coupled with strong lines and Elephant magazine deputy editor Louise Benson has high colours, mainly using TVPaint and A erEffects for animations, praise for Seo’s work on the publication’s autumn luxury- and Photoshop in her illustration work. She aims to create themed issue, “in which she went wild with drawings of images that look “strong,” she says, and her curvy women have crocodile handbags, ostrich fans and gold-flaked cronuts,” as gradually become subtle feminist messages in her work. Yet Benson puts it. The writer adds: “She uses Photoshop and she says they weren’t created with feminist politics in mind. other digital tools to build her surreal technicolour world, “I can’t deny that my reactions to [sexist] issues have where powerful, fleshy women lounge, pout and snack in developed into these characters. In Korea, it is [expected] that tropical locations… If I had half the imagination of Seo, these women should have slim bodies compared to other places. fantasy scenes would be what my dreams are made of.” “I drew fat and curvy women with bold faces as a response Seo grew up in what she describes as the “traditional city” to such social demands. I don’t suggest any ideal body shape of Gyeongju. “I had more chance to get close to Oriental through my work – there is nothing like that. I just love to draw and traditional Korean culture than other [illustrators],” she strong characters who seem to be able to do anything.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 71 -

SPECIAL REPORT APRIL 2019 01 02 >03 SOPHY HOLLINGTON 0 1 Begun In a world of shiny digital trickery, the work of Sophy sort of project, and we wanted to keep that sense of wonder Hollington is instantly arresting for its pride in showing the from the original record and build it into a web experience.” 0 2 NYT Blue marks of the human hand and the printing process. Working Dreams in linocut, Hollington doesn’t take the easy route – the process Another pair of standout projects from last year was is time-consuming (and o en finger-bleeding) – but her Hollington’s work on Autonomic Tarot and experimental 0 3 Bloomberg dedication to her cra is always worth it. novella To Run Wild In It, both collaborations with writer Cobalt David Keenan published by Rough Trade. Hollington created We were blown away by her work for A Message from her images based on the novella, in which each chapter was Earth, a project that marked the 40th anniversary of the named a er a Tarot card, and these then became a 30-card Golden Record discs, which took the form of two 12-inch gold- linocut tarot deck. It’s a beautiful take on a theme that we’ve plated copper phonograph records “containing sounds and seen a lot of lately. images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth,” as NASA puts it. Here, Hollington’s work was animated Now based in Brighton, Hollington’s themes range from in places, and the rough textures and traditional sensibilities of “meteoric folklore to mannerism,” she says, and her passion her aesthetic made those gifs all the more, well, otherworldly. lies in “wrangling the most out-there ideas to make them totally tangible.” Among the clients she’s worked with are The New “We just love her work,” said Stephen Canfield, York Times, The New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, It’s WeTransfer’s vice president of marketing, who was part of the Nice That, AIGA and the V&A. team that commissioned her for the piece. “We wanted to find a style that felt different from what you might expect from this When she’s not drawing or cu ing lino, the artist plays guitar in the band Novella. Is there nothing she can’t do? C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 72 -

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SPECIAL REPORT 01 02 ASHLEY LUKASHEVSKY 0 1 Personal work Originally from Honolulu but now based in LA, Ashley o en of my illustrations as li le design projects – just a lot Lukashevsky’s work packs a punch both visually and in its more fun and loose.” 0 2 International intentions. Freelance arts journalist Laura Snoad champions Women’s Day Lukashevsky’s use of illustration “as a political tool to call out Lukashevsky took an unusual route into illustration, having racism, sexism, transphobia and police brutality and create studied international relations, and learning about gender change.” She continues: “There’s o en a tangible action studies and sociology. “I didn’t pursue art throughout my behind her work, whether that’s registering to vote, phoning studies because I had yet to understand its connection to the local senator or organising your own community campaign. justice,” she says. “Once I started to get into design, I realised there was such a large visual impact that social movements “It might sound heavy but Ashley’s images are brimming could have, and I felt like that wasn’t being fully utilised.” with encouragement and hope. Her (largely female) subjects are comfortable in their bodies, whatever size, skin colour or It wasn’t until the 2016 US elections that she began to use sexuality, and inspire sisterhood and self-confidence.” her art as a form of creative activism. “I believe in a moral imperative to use your skill set to work towards liberation,” she Lukashevsky’s work usually begins with paper and pen, says. “[As illustrators] we have so much more to offer than just and she then scans or photographs the images and finishes being content factories for corporations.” As such, her work them using Procreate to add layers for colour and detail. depicts “femmes and non-binary people who are not typically Having previously worked largely with graphic design, the amplified in mainstream media. People who don’t o en get artist sees that those skills in typography, colour theory and to see powerful and complex images of themselves and their layout “definitely carry along in my illustrative work. I think communities reflected back at them.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 74 -

APRIL 2019 ILLUSTRATOR HOTLIST 2019 01 02 ORI TOOR 0 1 Nike Ori Toor is a Tel-Aviv based illustrator who describes his he says. “Colouring starts midway and skips back to line art Champions Think work as “creating freestyle worlds for you (and me) to get and back to colouring again over and over.” lost in.” Having studied illustration at the Shenkar College of 0 2 The Cosy Engineering and Design in Israel, he’s since worked with clients What’s so compelling about his artwork is the strange Adventure including Adobe, Apple, Cartoon Network, Bloomberg, cast of magical characters that populate it. “Maybe the Wired and Nike; as well as amusing himself with a bunch of creatures are me, my fears and my fantasies,” says Toor. “It’s self-initiated projects. just a theory. I’m not sure what inspires them other than the desire to inhabit my works with living beings.” While he says Rather sweetly, he tells us that the greatest influence that his work used to draw on more fantastical ideas, in on his illustration approach is “my mum, who used to design recent years he’s looked more to “mundane objects” and carpets. My style is ge ing more and more similar to hers.” everyday life: “Things that used to be boring to me turned While we haven’t seen his mum’s carpet creations, we’d out to be crazy inspiring.” wager that there are a few differences, since he goes on to describe his style as “gibberish,” and a “non-linear visual Having worked with a ra of big-name clients, Toor says narrative that uses the canvas to transcend time and space. that whatever the project, he treats every commission as if So basically, I doodle.” it’s a personal project. “I really appreciate freedom,” he says. “An open brief is my favourite and fortunately most of my Toor works with Photoshop, always starting with a blank clients understand that. Having one word or a list of words, for canvas. He delights in juxtaposing geometric shapes and more example, is ideal. I have to say my favorite thing to work on is organic, free-form drawings. “I figure things out as I go along,” my personal art (with a brief so open it doesn’t exist).” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 75 -

SPECIAL REPORT APRIL 2019 01 BÁRBARA MALAGOLI 0 1 Malagoli 2 Bárbara Malagoli describes herself as a Brazilian/Italian looks back on an artistic residence in Paris as a highlight of graphic artist with a style that’s a “balance between graphic her career. “Having the freedom to create an exhibition from shapes and so textures, always having in mind representing scratch from the experiences on-site was very special for the feminine in a sensual and spiritual way.” She adds that, me, because travelling always makes me reflect on my own “My work is all about compositions, shapes, vibrant textures story and brings a lot of inspiration for the creation of new and bold colours.” pieces,” she says. Before becoming a freelance illustrator, Malagoli worked Her impressive list of collaborations with studios and in fashion magazines and design studios, and sees this clients includes Facebook, Google, Vogue, Campari, ESPN multidisciplinary background as having enriched her art today. and MTV, and for Malagoli, the best type of commissions are either those with which she already has “an affinity with the Marcroy Smith, founder of People of Print, fell in love with subject of the project” and can “explore those references in a her “beautifully textured vector work and inky illustrative new year,” or those with long-standing clients that offer “more work,” as he puts it, at the London Illustration Fair. “The bright freedom to explore and execute the project with more trust Riso colours stood out and the style was so fluid and textured and confidence.” that I had to buy a print for my wall,” he adds. “She’s also bubbly and friendly which I think comes across in her work.” Her 2019 is already shaping up to be a good one. “I am super-excited about being part of more exhibitions in Europe Malagoli, who’s based in London, begins her work sketching and Brazil, and am looking forward to connect and collaborate by hand, before moving into Illustrator and then Photoshop. with different artists around the world,” she says. While much of her work is for commercial clients, the artist C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 76 -

APRIL 2019 01 02 BRUNO MANGYOKU 0 1 Obos Bladet Working across illustration, animation and direction, Paris- illustration-focused training,” he says. “Working in animation magazine based Bruno Mangyoku’s work manages to be both slick has taught me the basics of drawing, and image composition.” and textural, and has seen him pick up numerous big-name 0 2 Roland Garros commissions from the likes of Wired, Red Bull and Monocle. While much of the illustrator’s work displays his skill magazine “Bruno is equally comfortable creating beautiful static for drawing detailed renditions of places and scenes, he illustrations as he is cra ing animations,” says Stuart Whi on, describes his style as “character-driven, because I can’t senior agent at illustration agency Handsome Frank, which envision a piece without focusing first on the characters. This represents the artist. is what I’m best at, drawing people.” Usually, he works with a combination of Photoshop or Animate, although his personal “With additional digital content becoming an increasing work also sees him dabble in gouache painting. focus in our industry, it’s a skill set that’s becoming important,” Whi on adds. “Running through both strands of his work, it’s Having worked with a range of commercial clients, the details, characters, fresh colour pale es and cinematic Mangyoku’s favourite are those editorial commissions that give compositions that really set him apart. As a relatively new face him a certain degree of creative freedom. “They’re a very nice to our roster we’re looking forward to a big year ahead.” means of experimenting some new things, be it a change in style in order to be more impactful, or a change in the colour Mangyoku’s education focused mostly on animation, having pale e,” he says. “My style has shi ed quite a bit since the graduated from Paris-based art school Gobelins, L’École beginning of my career in illustration, and most of the time de L’Image. “I think I’m a good example of someone who’s it was thanks to some editorial projects in which I had fun managed to work in the field of illustration, without having had experimenting with things.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 77 -

SPECIAL REPORT APRIL 2019 01 02> HAEJIN PARK 0 1 STAT news Another illustrator showing how it’s done when it comes to and private experience, and I know exactly what it should look 0 2 Personal hand-wrought processes is South Korea-born, Brooklyn- in my mind.” painting based Haejin Park. Working in watercolours, Park studied illustration at Rhode Island School of Design, graduating The medium is crucial to the feel of such images, and adds in 2015, and has already worked with high-profile clients to the aura of mystery and otherworldliness. “I like the flow including the New York Times, Lenny Le er, Vice, Medium and texture of the watercolour paper and I feel incredibly and Buzzfeed. She describes her work as “colourful, fun, free, lucky and happy to have become comfortable with the childlike, cheerful and curious.” medium,” says Park. “I love making graduation and I always try to use a lot of different colours. I never do intense sketches, “It doesn’t ma er whether she’s making work for big clients and I start from black paper and fill it up pre y fast intuitively or just doing a poster for a pop-up cra fair, the level of detail with watercolour. I try to make the original look exactly the and sense of energy and excitement is always as intense,” says same as the final digital version a er I scan them.” writer and Weapons of Reasons editor James Cartwright. Thanks to her predilection for character design and Park’s work is packed with magical, almost folklorish weaving narrative from abstract elements, Park is naturally characters. “I start from one character or colour in mind drawn to zine and book commissions, although a recent that builds the mood and sets up the rest of the work,” project she found an enjoyable challenge was a set of gifs she explains. “The characters are very abstract, and I like for a podcast series on Spotify. “I had to draw each frame building up a lot of new characters and the world around with watercolour, and that was a lot of work, but seeing them it. I believe all the things I draw are coming from my personal move was really fun,” she says. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 78 -



PROJECT DIARY APRIL 2019 PROJECT DIARY FINE NEW IDENTITY FOR FYNE ALES How design studio O Street helped craft brewer Fyne Ales capitalise on its unique location and the provenance of its products C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 80 -

APRIL 2019 O STREET FOR FYNE ALES DAVID FREER Co-founder and designer, O Street David learnt his trade at Glasgow School of Art and Rhode Island School of Design. He has lived on both sides of the Atlantic and spent the start of his career in London with Saatchi & Saatchi, before returning to Glasgow to co-found O Street. The studio now has offices in London, Glasgow and Denver, US. DEFINING THE BRAND David Freer We had recently done some interesting work in the beer industry in Scotland and the US, which I think attracted Fyne Ales. We were one of a handful of agencies the brewer discussed its brief with. Some research it had conducted independently suggested that consumers saw its brand as safe, but not in a good way. With the craft beer market continuing to grow and challenger brands becoming a lot more engaging and unique, Fyne Ales wanted a more open brand to keep it ahead in the market. The brewery is located near Loch Fyne, in an area that happens to be a spiritual home for O Street. We go up there every year for a company fishing trip and music session. Early on, we knew a sense of place would be important to the brand’s overall feeling. It’s a magical place and Fyne Ales had the opportunity to take ownership of it, which no other beer brand could compete with. To truly understand it, Tessa Simpson and Neil Wallace went up and stayed for a couple of days taking photos, talking to staff and locals, and getting a feel for the place. We also researched breweries that we liked all over the world, from bars to off-licence shelves, and gathered together a wealth of beer knowledge. Our research told us that the brand needed to change. It wasn’t old enough to be regarded as a classic, and other, similar beers were winning more attention in the market. PROJECT FACTFILE BRIEF: Redesign an identity in the craft beer sector, including new brand positioning, tone of voice and straplines, logo, packaging, labelling system, tap clips, a brochure website and an online beer store. THE STUDIO: O Street, www.ostreet.co.uk CLIENT: Fyne Ales, www.fyneales.com LIVE DATE: November 2018 PROJECT DURATION: Eight months C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 81 -

PROJECT DIARY APRIL 2019 TESSA SIMPSON NEIL WALLACE Designer, O Street Co-founder, O Street Originally from Manchester, Tessa graduated from Also an alumni of the Glasgow School of Art, Neil Edinburgh College of Art with a first in graphic co-founded O Street with David Freer after design. She then decided to join the wilderness working in creative roles at Frame, Sony Music of O Street where she has been developing a range Entertainment and Whitehouse Post. His client of creative processes involving Macs, painting, ink work include projects for Brewdog, Google, Spotify and print techniques. and the Royal Bank of Scotland. Our strategy was to embrace the farm 01 01 A visit to Fyne brewery proposition. The company brews the Ales’ farm brewery beer on a working farm, with both activities inspired the nurturing and being nourished by the landscape. O Street team. This unique approach is often referred to as 02 Rolling ink on ‘terroir’ by vineyards and capitalising on it felt raw wood to make just right for Fyne Ales. prints helped capture the true THE DESIGN PROCESS spirit of Fyne Ales. 03 Texture Tessa Simpson creation included Visually, we wanted to create a contemporary potato printing, look, convey the farm brewery idea and create brush strokes and an identity that would stand up alongside other lashing inked hay craft brewers. At first, Fyne Ales wasn’t sure for an earthy feel. how much of the original branding to retain, 02 so we explored numerous ways of refining the existing FA monogram while offering different 03 approaches that were truer to its location. Soon after returning from our residency at the brewery, we were sketching contemporary versions of the monogram. We developed it based on imagery we found at the farm to form a fence/gate lock-up. Although the idea came about quickly, refining the shape, weight, size and formation took a fair bit of crafting before we were happy with it. The barn shape used in the designs also draws on the farm brewery concept. Originally, it was going to be used as the cut shape of the labels. However, as the brand identity developed we brought the barn outline into it in a more expressive way to highlight Fyne Ales front and centre – something that the company was keen to do. After we got the positioning right a clear PROCESS CHOOSING When searching for a typeface, we wanted to dig A TYPEFACE up something with a bit of a story. We eventually came across Fontsmith’s Lost & Foundry project, Tessa Simpson reveals how which was created from forgotten hand-painted O Street found the perfect signs. Within the collection we discovered the font for Fyne Ales appropriately named FS Cattle.The functional appearance and uniform width of the font felt like a good match for the Fyne Ales marque, while its hand-painted origins brought in an element of the craft ethos that is mirrored in the company’s approach. We crafted the main logotype to include overextended crossbars, so that we could visually match the construction of the FA marque. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 82 -

APRIL 2019 O STREET FOR FYNE ALES THE MARQUE While the concept came readily, honing the gate-style logo to perfection took time, says Tessa Simpson Forming the letters F and A so that they look like a farm gate matched our ‘farm brewery’ brand proposition. Initially, we played around with different forms of the gate: more rectangular, more square, or even just using the crossbar from the centre to form an abstract F. Eventually, we settled on a weighty style of marque with slightly imperfect and rounded edges, drawing on the idea of these planks of wood would never be perfectly regular after some outdoor weathering. We refined this design alongside some type selections, balancing the offset of the crossbars within the type, adjusting the stacking of the planks that made up the logo to see how the F and the A would look within the marque. As we were bringing textures into the overall brand identity, we did the same for the logo. David sawed, blowtorched and ink-printed wood blocks to create the grain texture used in the A. We created scalable versions of this texture; the size determines how much detail is visible. When we found the right brand typeface to pair with the marque, we spent some crafting time getting the balance and weight of the planks just right, producing a finished logo and a number of variable lock-ups as well. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 83 -

PROJECT DIARY APRIL 2019 05 04 06 04 - 06 The new system began to emerge. It helped make the found the right balance. Working with the branding is crafted FA logo more visible and emphasised the company helped us gain a real understanding prominent on the farm brewery message. of the ecosystem of the brewery and the farm. can packaging, The craft brewer was walking a fine line between and together This was augmented further by the use of presenting the progressive, exciting side of with texture and textures, which gave us a way of including the Fyne Ales and retaining its loyal customers. colour coding raw, unpolished side of being on a farm in the It was always a topic of discussion when looks credible, identity. Our earliest concepts included an reviewing the designs. contemporary element of photographed textures, but as and unique in we developed the design we got the inks and Fyne Ales has been really pleased with the a crowded craft paints out to create patterns using materials work that we’ve done. “We honestly believe ale market. from the farm. This led to a handful of hay, that even though it’s a departure from where potato stamps, sticks and leaves becoming we are now, the new look is true to who we are. our painting tools. With additional photography, It reflects our proudly rustic, rural provenance we had a range of bold patterns to choose from. with our growing role as a progressive, modern We wanted to build a broad set that Fyne Ales brewery,” the company said. could use in future as part of its brand system and to create new labels. So far the feedback has been massively positive. The online beer shop is certainly THE VERDICT reflecting that in sales. Overall, we are really pleased with the brand identity and system. It Neil Wallace was a big undertaking and it’s great to finally Although our initial concepts played on the see it out in the wild after such a long time in evolution of the existing brand, Fyne Ales said development. The interest it has generated in our that it was happy for us to push the idea further, studio has led to us creating a beer zine called so we dialled the concept up to 11 and eventually Crush, so watch for that soon. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 84 -

APRIL 2019 O STREET FOR FYNE ALES 07 07 Bringing the for its current new identity to and future life around the product labels. Fyne Ales farm was a key step 10 The full and in the rebrand. finished lock-up of the new Fyne 08 - 09 The Ales brand, by secondary motif O Street. of a barn shape, with space 11 - 13 From blocked out a mobile site for text, along to trade keg with the use of packaging, colour coding, the new brand gives Fyne Ales is making a versatile toolkit its impact. 08 10 09 13 11 12 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 85 -

STUDIO INSIGHT APRIL 2019 STUDIO INSIGHT HOW TO CREATE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Italian-based Studio Mut tells Rosie Hilder how it’s able to push boundaries through exercising control B eing able to experiment in your us, all designers, all working on every part of the client work is often as much about project: picking up the phone, bringing in new having the right conditions, and the business, talking to clients, having ideas and right clients, as it is about creativity bringing them to life, presenting… We want to – something that the founders design everything, from books to exhibitions, of Studio Mut know all too well. Thomas from digital to print, from posters to branding. Kronbichler and Martin Kerschbaumer rely on a strict system of managed processes to How is studio life now different to it was then? create their vibrant and daring work. MK: It is almost the same as it was a couple of years ago. We come in at around 9am, and “We work like they taught us at our Bauhaus- leave at 6pm. We still don’t work on weekends, inspired design schools: the designer is involved and when we close the door behind us, we think in the business part of the project, the creation about other things than design. At least we try. and the production,” explains Kerschbaumer. TK: It’s just that the projects got bigger. All in all we just grew into what the studio is now. But how does this work in practice? And does this system work with all clients, and all types of You do a lot of work for cultural clients. Do you projects? Over to Studio Mut… enjoy working on more commercial projects? MK: Cultural clients approach us more often, and What have been your highlights of the past year that’s why we do more projects in that field. They as a studio? are open to experiment and to be challenged. Thomas Kronbichler: This year was super- They are used to dealing with conceptually exciting. Martin is a father now! And we became challenging approaches. At the end of a cultural part of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), project, we often hear from our clients that is the club of the most important graphic designers was so easy to work with us. I guess they are worldwide. This is every graphic designer’s used to working with egocentric artists, and we dream come true, so… are not like that. Martin Kerschbaumer: So basically we should TK: We love working on commercial projects. If stop now while we are in the zone. the team is small and the minds are open, you can do great work no matter the field you are in. When and how was Studio Mut founded? MK: We started the studio in 2014 out of What does being experimental mean for you? necessity. Thomas and I came back to our MK: We like to challenge the audience. Standing hometown Bolzano, Italy, from Berlin, where out is a good quality in a project – as long as it is we worked at Fons Hickmann M23 and we charming and intelligent. already had some clients here. We worked together for about a year, and the projects just STUDIO MUT kept coming. We were forced to start a studio Founded in 2014, Studio Mut is a graphic design studio based in together – it became too complicated to write Bolzano, northern Italy. The studio specialises in identity, print, separate invoices. So one day we created the editorial and web design work for clients spanning art, culture and studio, and then we got back to our desks and commerce. Its clients include Lottozero Textile Lab, Trieste kept on working. When we work together, hard Summer Festival and Bolzano University Press. tasks seem to become easy. We have different www.studiomut.com personalities, but they interlock very naturally. TK: After two years at our first studio, it just got too small and we had to move to a bigger space, where we are now. There are now five of C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 86 -

APRIL 2019 STUDIO MUT PHOTOGRAPH: Piero Martinello

STUDIO INSIGHT APRIL 2019 TK: We strive for an aesthetic that can be Top left: This understood by everyone. We don’t like to be poster was made difficult for the sake of it. Being experimental as part of a project for us means bringing the audience towards for United Notions, something that they did not expect, something which explained they haven’t seen before. If you get the balance words that only right, your client will go to that place happily. exist in one language.“Boh is Your work has also been described as vibrant. the sound Italians How do you choose a project’s colour palette? make when they Do people expect bright colours from you? really don’t give a TK: Yes apparently that’s what people say about well, you know,” us. We never intended it to be our signature says Thomas thing, and we will always just do whatever we feel Kronbichler. is right. There is no formula. Left: A poster to MK: We love to turn up the dial. But we have been promote Berlin much more moderate lately. We are getting old. Bozen Connection, TK: Yeah, we are getting to the point of being a series of art extremely moderate! exhibitions. Below: Studio Do you have a dream client in mind? Mut art directs TK: Not really, but I would love to do a really large and designs project: a football World Cup, for example. architecture MK: We want to do a project that touches a lot of magazine Turris people. We think that exceptional graphic design Babel for the should become part of our everyday lives. Architecture Foundation in Bolzano looks like a beautiful city. Do you think South Tyrol, Italy. your surroundings influence your work? The magazine MK: Our small city of Bolzano is surrounded by is now in its high mountains, the white Dolomites – just think fourth year. Switzerland, but in Italy. Because we are in Italy, but on the border with Austria and Switzerland, THOMAS KRONBICHLER we speak three official languages in the region: Founding partner Italian, German and Ladin. The latter is an Thomas is a founding partner of Studio Mut. He has won several ancient language spoken by 20,000 people. awards, including the Type Directors Club Award of Typographic Excellence and the Graphis Poster Annual Platinum Awards. His work has been shown at Design Miami and KK Outlet London. COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COM - 88 -

APRIL 2019 STUDIO MUT Top: This recent HOW TO WORK MORE issue of Turris EFFECTIVELY WITH Babel featured a YOUR CLIENTS die-cut cover. Studio Mut explains how to Top right: A create the right conditions for limited edition silk your best work scarf designed for Lottozero Textile 1. PICK THE RIGHT CLIENTS Labs in Prato. If your potential client is good at what they do, the chances are they will be a Above: Stationery good client, says Thomas Kronbichler. created for “And they know that there are other Seehotel Ambach. people who are very good at what they do, too. If that’s established, the collaboration Right: Another will be a good one.” cover from Turris Babel magazine. 2. CONTROL YOUR PROJECTS FROM START TO FINISH MARTIN KERSCHBAUMER “Because we are a very small team, and Founding partner all of us are designers, we can control Martin co-founded Studio Mut with fellow partner Thomas. He studied projects from start to finish,” says Martin product design in Florence, graphic design in Bolzano and Lisbon, and Kerschbaumer.“Most of our clients are then worked at a design studio in Berlin before setting up Studio Mut. medium-sized companies or cultural Previously, he also taught design at the University of Bolzano. institutions, so we talk to the decision- makers right away.” It might sound counter-intuitive, but this control is key to successful experimentation.“That’s how we can pull off experimental work,” explains Kerschbaumer.“We keep the head-count of a project to a minimum, control every part of the process, and see ourselves as partners of our clients, more than simple executors.” 3. DON’T BE SCARED OF WORKING WITH BIG BUDGETS Some people think that big budgets just mean big bureaucracy, but Kerschbaumer thinks otherwise.“The projects with more budget tend to be the projects with more freedom and more trust in the designers,” he says.“Your opinion is just more valued if your hourly rate is high. It’s a mad world.” 4. VALUE CLIENTS OVER PROJECTS “While studying, one of my professors suggested that sometimes the client is more important than the actual project,” recalls Kronbichler. “When you are just starting out as a designer you think that’s absolute nonsense. But now I realise that he was right. Once you have done at least three projects with a client, then your collaborations can really go to the next level.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 89 -

STUDIO INSIGHT APRIL 2019 Top: Studio Mut’s Above: The We are influenced by the clash of cultures and important to see a high level of technical skill, work for the studio’s exhibition languages. You start to think more about cultural too. Knowing your tools is essential if you want to Trieste Estate catalogue for differences, but also about things that we have in make great art. festival, held in Fondazione common. We are passionate about the European TK: Our interns learn on the job. They learn how the Italian costal Sandretto Re idea. Europe brought us closer to other cultures to transform their ideas into projects that work city of Trieste. Rebaudengo and countries. With a city between three nations, for clients, and how to sell difficult or strange Torino. you experience this unity much more. solutions. Now there are former interns all TK: In more practical terms, try to design a around the world – watch out, they are bad-ass poster in three languages! It’s really hard, almost graphic design monsters! impossible. Wordplay doesn’t work. That’s why we often communicate emotions first, and words As a small studio, how do you take on bigger later – because we can’t say the same thing projects? three times over. TK: We decided about two years ago that we don’t want to grow larger as a studio. We like You seem to travel a lot. Do you think that to be in control of a project from beginning to influences your work? finish, and the designer who is in charge of a MK: We stay at the studio as much as possible! project talks to the client, comes up with an idea TK: There are so many projects running at all and designs the thing, with the help of other times, so we don’t travel much. We go to three professionals if needed. to four places every year. In 2018, we went to London, held a week-long workshop in San Outside of the studio, we have super-savvy Marino, and we presented our work in Vienna programmers in Berlin and Innsbruck who at a design university and in Munich at a design help us with web work, and we work almost conference. We try not to work while we are on exclusively with one printing house, because the road. That gives you time to do the most it is open to experimentation. Add a roster of important thing: talk to interesting people and photographers, journalists, illustrators and get to know them. They inspire us. artists, and you can do a lot of work while staying relatively small. “Our interns Do you always have an intern? How do you MK: We are also collaborating with our friends at learn how to choose who to work with? Studio Blackburn in London on larger branding turn their ideas TK: In addition to two designers who work projects, where they can add their knowledge into projects regularly with us, we have always one, and and international reputation to our graphic that work sometimes two interns at the studio. Interns design abilities. for clients” don’t make coffee – they work on real projects, talk to clients and present their work. Their work Would you say you have a studio ethos? is credited, they can show it on their websites MK: We believe in making things. We don’t want and socials and they quite often win their first to be cool. We care about content. We don’t take awards for the work they create here. ourselves too seriously. We don’t believe in the MK: Internships at Studio Mut are three to perfect design, but in the right design for now. six months long, and paid. We get about 200 We know our roots, but we love the future. applications for every slot available. Unlike other studios, we look for applicants who are quite What’s next for Studio Mut? ‘formed’, who have a personal style. And it’s TK: World domination. COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COM - 90 -

APRIL 2019 STUDIO MUT Above: Work done for Innsbruck International. Right: This cover for the art cinema 338 Hour Cineclub uses glow-in-the- dark ink. Top right and below: Just two of Studio Mut’s many poster designs. Below right: Turris Babel magazine covers and pages. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 91 -

PROJECT DIARY APRIL 2019 PROJECT DIARY BLACK AND WHITE AND GREEN INSIDE When Great Design created the branding and launch packaging for Dr. Lhotka’s range of organic dental products, the team wanted to avoid the usual clichés from the get-go PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY: LISA EDI C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 92 -

APRIL 2019 GREAT DESIGN FOR DR LHOTKA RAPHAEL DRECHSEL Co-founder, Great Design Originally from Bregenz, Austria, Drechsel started his career in Vienna as a graphic designer with Rosebud, Inc. He specialises in brand identity, editorial design and typography. Drechsel’s award-winning work has been shown at Red Dot Design, ADC Europe, ADC Germany, European Design Award and Creative Club Austria. In 2010 he co-founded Great Design with Simon Bleil to develop corporate branding, communication and design solutions across a range of sector. FORMULATING A STRATEGY Raphael Drechsel Dr. Lhotka is a well-known dentist in Vienna, Austria whose patients were asking him which dental care products were best. He didn’t think there were any perfect products on the market, so he began developing his own using organic ingredients and with a focus on purity. When a friend of Great Design went to Dr. Lhotka for dental treatment, they had a discussion about the new products and it led to a meeting between Dr. Lhotka and our studio. The initial brief involved an overall branding concept, including packaging design for dental oil, dental rinse and toothpaste. This would include outer packaging, glass bottles and tubes with an emphasis on sustainability. We wanted to expand our portfolio to include more packaging at the time, so we were excited about this opportunity, and the fact that the products contain the best possible ingredients made it even more desirable for us. Our research began with a thorough understanding of our client. We held lots of workshops with Dr. Lhotka to learn about his practice and the products. We like to develop deep cooperation, a clear approach and to share expertise with our clients. After gaining insight into the products and their potential market, we formulated ‘our green is not green’ approach. People are careful about the food they choose to eat, and their oral health products. We questioned the typical approach to marketing an organic product, and wanted to remove PROJECT FACTFILE BRIEF: First, to build the brand identity for a line of natural oral health products developed by Austrian dentist Dr. Lhotka. Second, to design striking and unique launch packaging for the dentist’s line of dental rinse, dental oil, toothpaste and lip balm. THE STUDIO: Great Design Studio, www.great.design THE CLIENT: Dr. Lhotka, www.drlhotka.com PROJECT DURATION: Eighteen months LIVE DATE: September 2018 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 93 -

PROJECT DIARY APRIL 2019 01 This is one of in which the H environment. The LUKAS HAIDER the very first is extended on tube packaging is Graphic designer, Great Design renderings Great top of the more robust than Haider found his way into design by creating posters and album art for Design produced, cylindrical pack. the first render, musicians and recording artists. He decided to turn his passion into demonstrating to but otherwise a profession and began studying information design at FH Joanneum the client what 02 hasn’t changed in Graz, Austria. After graduating, he developed his skills by working could be done Here are the all that much. abroad and taking on numerous international freelance jobs. Five years with the dental finished Dr. Lhotka ago he settled in Vienna and now works as a graphic designer for Great oil packaging. products on Design, specialising in branding and editorial projects. Notice the manner display in a retail the clichés involved. The green should be on the inside. The outside needed to be clear, minimal and recognisably different. In that way, our strategy was to create a brand and packaging that speaks of purity. DESIGN AND PROTOTYPING unconventional, and weren’t what the client 01 anticipated. But he liked that, and subsequently 02 Lukas Haider approved the approach. After defining our strategy, we began developing an identity for Dr. Lhotka. We actually did this Then we refined the graphic design, working directly on to the packaging masks we were on the typefaces, sizes and wording. The focus using and the first drafts went straight on was on keeping the aesthetic minimal, and we to boxes. We honed our ideas for the visual researched packaging materials that would appearance across a unified range of packaging. emphasise this while delivering on sustainability through materials, manufacture and printing. Because the toothpaste would have no outer It was a real struggle to meet our own criteria packaging and would just be a round tube, we and EU guidelines. decided to put the dental oil and dental rinse into round tubes as well. The characteristics Because the dental oil, dental rinse and of the tube inspired to us stretch the Lhotka lip balm use light-sensitive natural essences, logo all the way around the tube, 360-degrees. MIRON-Glass was needed to protect these That’s how the extended H approach was substances. For the best-possible appearance, formulated, and it supported Dr. Lhotka’s wish we didn’t want a transparent printed foil not to be the main focus of the product range. wrapped around the bottle, so we chose Hence, the brand might not be 100 per cent readable, but it is clearly recognisable through its characteristics and the extended H. To present our ideas to Dr. Lhotka, we prepared some dummy packaging using sample materials such as paper, glass bottles and 3D visualisations. We said a few words about our approach, and the client was able to interact with the products like a customer might. At first, the response was restrained. Our designs were PROCESS HOW TO COST, COST, COST SPECIAL EXTRAS COLOUR TESTS PACK IT Always check The addition of We know from ALL UP prices and the bespoke details or experience that feasibility of use of custom-size white isn’t white Raphael Drechsel implementing packaging gets and black isn’t shares some pointers your designs. expensive. If you’re black. Always order on developing new It’s not cool for not producing a sample products packaging solutions the client if you huge batch, it’s to text the quality, present a solution usually better to colour and that they simply stick to standard effectiveness of can’t afford. products and sizes. your materials. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 94 -

APRIL 2019 GREAT DESIGN FOR DR LHOTKA 03 One example be scaled to suit Design had laterally enables different the OrVgaiennicnsa of the final the packaging, mocked up while the branding to packaging is from branding options whatever its researching suit the packaging other available 03 produced for dimensions. the perfect and purpose of oral hygiene Dr. Lhotka. packaging for the design. products, and 05 Just a small Dr. Lhotka’s brand. from other 04 Product shot selection of the 07 - 08 Product products in the showing how the tubes, bottles and 06 The ability to photos by Lisa Edi sustainable and branding can lids that Great extend the H demonstrate how green category. 04 05 06 07 08 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 95 -

PROJECT DIARY APRIL 2019 09 a silkscreen approach. However, normal 09 Product 10 silkscreen ink will easily rub off a glass surface photography – 11 and so a special varnish was added to finish the an important bottles. Tracking down a production company element in the that could achieve this was tricky. Dr. Lhotka launch. The tubes were made using Constellation 10 For Great Snow paper by Fedrigoni with an E33 grid. Design, the clarity When you touch it you can feel the repeating of the black and geometric patterns embossed into it. The white brand and toothpaste has no external packaging, and we packaging it chose a matt white packaging material to match designed says the rest of the product range. We added a rivet, more about the which can be used to attach additional product product’s purity information, or to mount the product on a point- than taking a of-sale stand, which is currently in production. more traditional It’s a real signature of the toothpaste product. ’sustainable’ design route. THE VERDICT 11 The full Raphael Drechsel ensemble in its Because both the client and ourselves were natural setting. working in unknown territory, a lot of trust was Response to the required on both sides. Communication was new products easy going and this made the entire branding has been positive process a good example of best practice for and more lines are us. It took a while for the products to launch, on the way. especially the certification of their vegan and bio cosmetic qualities. However, customer feedback on the products and the design has been very positive. One thing that we learned during the project is that when products are sold in specific regions, certain guidelines have to be met. These can relate to the placement of the icons, their size and the size of the type and ingredients information. Knowing the requirements from the start saves a lot of time. Now that the products have been successfully launched, new additions to the Dr. Lhotka range are being planned. We can’t wait to work on them. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 96 -

DIGITAL ISSUES ISSUE 289 BUSINESS READ EVERY ISSUE OF CA! Turn your business ideas into a success Missed a print copy of CA? Simply download our digital Studio Dalton Maag back issues on iPad or reveals its type secrets Android and catch up... We conclude our roundup of the leading lights in the industry ISSUE 288 ISSUE 287 ISSUE 286 ISSUE 285 DISRUPTION NEW TRENDS LOGO DESIGN BEST UK STUDIOS Leading creatives reveal why Celebrate the hottest design trends Uncover the secrets to creating We rank the top 30 design studios you should disrupt your design set to shape the industry, and learn logos equipped for the modern based in the UK, and discover why approach, we talk to Victoria Bee the best route to self-publishing. age, and we discuss mental health big brands need to be ethical. Also, on her larger-than-life projects, and Also, Kate Dawkins speaks to her issues in the design industry. Plus, Jamie Ellul discusses the value of hear from industry game changers. work as a live experience designer. Yuko Shimizu talks illustration. a good work-love balance in design. GOT AN APPLE DEVICE? Download Computer Arts for your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. PREFER TO READ ON ANDROID, PC OR MAC? A digital replica of CA is also available on Google Play and Zinio, as well as Kindle, Nook, Windows 8 and more. www.bit.ly/CA-iPad www.bit.ly/CA-iPadUS (US store) www.bit.ly/CA-GooglePlay www.bit.ly/CA-Zinio

DESIGN INSPIRATION APRIL 2019 Savanna Rawson is an art director, designer and illustrator with over nine years’ industry experience. She runs her own creative business from her Surrey home studio. www.savannarawson.co.uk JOURNALLING FOR CREATIVITY There’s an imp on my shoulder. When ILLUSTRATION: Savanna Rawson reading past entries. When feeling lost, it’s awake it criticises me all day long, a journal can steer you back on track and saying things like “this idea will never way my journal provides for the mind; recognising your own repeated themes work” or “so you think that’s a good carrying out spring cleaning, restoration, can teach you a lot about yourself. colour choice?” Some days it may start actualisation of goals and self-reflection. lambasting me before any work has even Of course, I’m just one person who’s begun. “Don’t bother making something It might be worth mentioning that I been writing and thinks it’s helpful. There so ridiculous,” it jabbers. The imp sits don’t always write a full account of the day, are others who acknowledge the power in glued to my shoulder – I try to pull it off, although I do date each entry. Instead, this ancient practice, too. Playwright and but it’s very strong. I write a stream of consciousness. author Julia Cameron says, “All that angry, Whatever my inner voice mutters, I try whiny, petty stuff that you write down... Whatever your creative discipline you’ll to capture it on to the page. It could be stands between you and your creativity.” be familiar with a critical imp of some sort. events from the day, but is often a soup While psychotherapist Maud Purcell Equally, you’ll be aware that the days it of many topics – past and present. claims that, “Writing accesses the left stays away are the most productive. hemisphere of the brain, which is analytical Some entries are lists of words or and rational. This leaves the right brain free My background is in art direction, phrases that help when my mind is racing to be creative, instinctive and emotive.” graphic design and illustration. Since and I need to get everything down. There childhood, image-based arts have always aren’t rules as to how you should keep a Creative thinkers Leonardo da Vinci, appealed to me the most. And yet I’ve journal, just that it works best for you and Jean-Michel Basquiat and Frida Kahlo, always been compelled to write, be it my that you do it regularly. to name just a few, were all dedicated first attempt at novel, letters to overseas journal keepers too. As a visually led cousins or one-off Dear Diary entries. I’m now in my 30s, which means I’ve creative I still keep a sketchbook and a been keeping a journal for about 20 years. notebook (of facts and lists) alongside It wasn’t until I was 14 years old that So based on nothing other than my own my writing journal. Each of them function writing became a bigger thing, starting experience, after all these years I’ve in a different way, but I’m certain that with a series of poems. Although they found that journalling as a tool has been without the regular practice of writing, were quite cryptic they enabled me to the most effective way for me to become my work wouldn’t be the same. express myself and I found the outlet very unstuck. Whether my goal is to work nourishing. This was the start of what through creative decisions or to cleanse No matter what the imp says, I always would later become my journalling habit. other thoughts that influence my state know that a writing session will clear of mind, writing helps. things up. My journal is the sunshine that Over the years I became devoted to pushes the rain clouds away, so that the the clarity that would come from writing I would consider it a form of meditation, rainbow emerges and I can move forward my thoughts down. At times it was – and if meditation can be defined as seeking a with decisiveness and clarity once again. is – a Q&A dialogue between myself and I. deeper understanding of yourself and your Whenever I wrote I noticed that the place in the world. This understanding imp would visit less often. It no longer comes from the writing, but also from had much to say because writing had pre-empted and untangled my thoughts. Self-doubts had already been explored and there were fewer weak spots for the critical imp to exploit. When I write my journal it’s not skilful or written with the intention that anyone (bar me) will read it. For me, writing is the road towards better thinking. And because nobody will read it, I’m free to be rough, gnarly, unedited and brutally honest. It can also be overambitious, borderline impractical and aspirational. In this C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 98 -

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